I am amazed. When I acknowledge the stresses of my life, I can expand my empathy toward others. For example, I would like my daughter to live near me. As I let myself be aware of the pain of our separation, I know that I share a painful separation with other mothers, one that I rarely let myself feel. Then I know that even if I am reunited in physical proximity with my daughter, other mothers, more than I can imagine, remain distant from their daughters for many reasons.